• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Sep 02, 2014 Web Exclusive By Ryan Leas

For a band hailing from South London, Happyness’ debut Weird Little Birthday is the sort of music perfect for hazy, morning-after walks down sun-drenched American streets. While it initially comes off as ragged, lo-fi, and maybe even a bit haphazard, Weird Little Birthday is more enduring than its casualness and wry intimacy might initially suggest. There are plenty of obvious touchstones here, primarily the scuzzier corners of ‘90s American indie, but Happyness deftly moves between sprawling moodiness and quicker, quippier songs in a manner that displays more thought and maturity than an evident debt to their sonic forebears would imply; it also allows them to transcend the stray overly juvenile lyric. For all their down-to-earth qualities, Happyness already come off as a remarkably assured young band—the opening one-two of “Baby Jesus (Jelly Boy)” and “Naked Patients” is particularly memorable. Fitting for the weathered tones and hushed sing-speak vocals they favor, Happyness have quietly crafted one of the finest debuts of the year. (www.facebook.com/Happynessmusic)

Author rating: 7.5/10